


The Lost Girl

by yohoyohoafandomlifeforme



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Henry is aged up, Henry x OC but not until the way future, I tagged rape because OC is a victim but we're not gonna go into detail ever, Mostly focuses on my OC, Peter Pan | Malcolm is not Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold's Parent, Starts in season 3, Yes this creates plot issues no i don't care, he's 16, just like the show, skips around in time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:09:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27108517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yohoyohoafandomlifeforme/pseuds/yohoyohoafandomlifeforme
Summary: The story of Raven, this first and only Lost Girl of Neverland. A long time ago she was a prisoner on a ship, and now she’s stuck on the island she helped create.When a group of so-called Heroes lands on the island, along with her oldest friend, Raven sees her chance to finally get off the island and away from Peter Pan once and for all.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time)/Original Female Character(s), Liam Jones (Once Upon a Time)/Original Female Character(s), Peter Pan | Malcolm/Original Female Character(s), Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long time ago in the Enchanted Forest, a young Killian, Liam, and Talia watch the stars. In present day Neverland, Raven runs into an old friend-turned-enemy.

##### ~ A very long time ago ~

“Talia!” A young boy’s whispers, and his hand shaking her shoulder, woke Talia from her sleep. Talia slowly peeled her eyes open, to reveal a boy a few years younger than herself. 

“Killian, it’s the middle of the night.” 

“The stars are falling! Come out and look, Liam is already on the deck!” Killian tugged on Talia’s hands this time, pulling as hard as he could. Even though Talia was easily stronger than Killian, she allowed herself to be taken from her bunk at the mention of Liam. Liam, Killian, and Talia are the only kids on the ship, luckily all relatively close in age. Talia couldn’t help but develop a crush on Liam, who was only a year older than herself.

When Killian and Talia emerged onto the deck, Talia’s eyes were immediately drawn to the sky. Just as Killian had said, hundreds of stars appeared to fall from the sky in a way Talia had never seen before. Killian and Talia ran to the side of the ship to where Liam was already standing. The trio giggled as they watched the sky, pointing out their favorite stars and enjoying this rare moment of fun. Normally the time spent on the ship was the exact opposite; they were all servants, sold to work for Captain Silver until they could buy their way out. Liam and Killian were brothers, who had been sold to the Captain by their father. Talia was given to the Captain by her mother a year later, when her mother was in desperate need of money. The three of them spent their time cleaning the ship, and avoiding the abuse of the crew.

“I wish I could fly like the stars.” Talia said to the brothers, still watching the sky as the stars began to stand still once more. 

“What do you mean?” Killian asked, looking up to the girl. Talia often teased him for his height, as she stood nearly a head taller than him.

“The stars are free. I wish I could fly away and disappear, like…like a raven disappears into the night.” Talia felt a tear develop in her eye, though quickly wiped it away, not wanting to appear weak. As she got older, Captain Silver and some of the other crew had begun expecting more of her. Talia wasn’t sure how much longer she could succumb to their requests.

“You would leave us?” Killian said, in a whisper so low Talia could barely hear it. Talia knew her answer, though she couldn’t form the words to voice it. How could she tell Killian, her best friend, the closest she’d ever come to a brother, that she would leave if given the chance? Before she could figure out her answer, an adult voice interrupted the night.

“Talia.” The deep voice caused all three kids to turn around, and they found Captain Silver had joined them on the deck. “Come. Keep me company tonight.” Liam’s hand found Talia’s, causing her to turn to look at him. Liam gave her hand a comforting squeeze, before releasing it. Liam and Talia had agreed to try and keep this part of her life from Killian as long as they could. He was still two years younger than Talia, and blissfully oblivious to the darker parts of life. But as Talia grew, the crew became less subtle about their eyes for her.

“Aye, Captain.” Talia spoke to Silver, leaving her friends for a night she’d rather forget.

##### ~ Present day ~

Raven ran through the woods of Neverland, avoiding the traps she knew lost boys had set. She’d lost count of the days she’d been running a long time ago. For more years than she’d like to admit, Raven had been trying to find a way off the island, and rumor has it that Pan was close to finding the heart of the truest believer, which meant she had to get off this island now or never. If Pan really did have the heart, he’d soon be more powerful than ever before. She wouldn’t be able to hide from him any longer, If Pan ever found out what she’d done, he’d kill her on sight.

Luckily, right now she didn’t have to worry too much about Pan finding her, because his focus was on the newest group that had landed on the island. Raven didn’t know who they were, but her magic made it easy to sense them. They had magic of their own, both light and dark, that much was obvious. If Pan is distracted by them, she may be able to find a portal back to the Enchanted Forest without Pan noticing.

Raven slowed her run to a walk as she approached her hideout. The only place on the island that was hidden from Pan. She had a friend that had used it when he hid from Pan a long time ago, but he was gone now, and with a little extra protection magic, she’d made it her own. Her eyes moved up to the rock that covered the entrance, only to see a group of people attempting to get in. Quickly she drew her bow, and took aim. Her warning shot hit the rock just past the ear of one of the men, causing the whole group to turn towards her. It was a group of five; three women and a man she didn’t recognize, and one man she did. Hook.

“Hook, why the hell are you invading my hideout?” Raven said, pointing her bow at him this time. The other four were armed with weapons of their own; one woman even had a ball of fire in her hand, but she paid no attention to them. 

“Your hideout? Last I checked Baelfire was the one who lived here, lass. And you were with Pan.” Killian’s words caused the group to look at her with even more animosity than before. Raven didn’t even get a chance to respond before a fireball was making its way towards your face.

“Regina, no!” One of the women yelled, but she quickly realized her words were useless. Raven moved her bow into her right hand, and used the left to easily catch the fireball before it could hit her. With a smirk on her face, she made the ball disappear. The strangers looked at the seemingly young girl with shocked faces.

“You’ve been gone a long time, Hook. A lot has changed. Especially me.” Raven briefly stopped speaking, and used her magic to move the stone blocking the entrance. “I’m assuming you’re looking for something of Bae’s.” Raven walked towards the group, slipping past the man and women who held swords to enter the little home. “His stuff is all here, help yourselves. Just do it quickly, you being here will bring Pan’s attention, and he and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms.” She had moved all of Bae’s old things into baskets, and so she pulled them out of their hiding spot and onto the makeshift table. “I don’t know what use they have to you, Hook.”

“We thought his things might show how he managed to get off the island.” The woman who spoke had held a bow, like your own, but she was the only one of the group who had actually put away her weapon. 

“Bae got off the island?”

“You didn’t know?” Hook said, taking a step towards Raven and putting away his sword.

“When he ran from camp I was still with the lost boys. When he never came back, I assumed Pan killed him, or that he’d died trying to get off the island.” Raven paused, not wanting to accidentally reveal too much emotion behind her next words. “I’m glad to hear that he’s ok.”

There was an awkward silence after she spoke. “He’s not exactly-” The brunette, the nice one, spoke, before being cut off by another woman, who you assumed to be Regina.

“He’s dead.” Any hope Raven had previously was squashed in an instant.

“Regina!” The man she didn’t know scolded, only to be met with Regina’s glare.

“What? Are we supposed to comfort her? Lie to her? Hook said it himself, she works for Pan!”

Raven scoffed. “I used to work with Pan. I never worked for him.” While she spoke, Hook and the blonde woman were examining the drawings on the walls. Most of them were old, from Bae’s time in the cave, but a few were newer. Raven had added to Bae’s doodles over the years. “If there’s anything in here that’ll get someone off the island, I haven’t found it. And trust me, I’ve been trying to get off this island for a long time.” She said, beginning to pull stuff out of one of the baskets. The nice woman joined her, inspecting each item as she went.

“I’m Snow.” She introduced herself as she worked, looking at a coconut bowl before setting it down. “That’s my husband, David, and our daughter, Emma. That’s Regina, and it’s clear that you already know Hook.” She pointed to each person she introduced. David and Emma each gave Raven a nod when Snow spoke their names, while Regina ignored her as she rummaged through another basket. “What’s your name?” Snow asked kindly.

“Raven.” She could hear Hook scoff from across the cave, but Raven elected to ignore it. 

“Hand me that candle.” Emma said from across the room. David grabbed it from the table where Snow had left it, and quickly lit it aflame before handing it to his daughter. Raven moved to the edge of the cave, watching as the group looked through Bae’s things and examined the wall. Emma and Hook had a hushed conversation about the drawings, while Regina, David, and Snow continued to look through the baskets. Emma turned away from Hook and spoke to the rest of the group after she finished looking at the artwork. “What’s all this?”

“Uh,” Snow began, “Just some cups and bowls he fashioned from things he found here.” Some of those items were actually Raven’s, but she decided to keep quiet and continue watching quietly.

“I don’t know how great a cup this coconut could make. It’s filled with holes.” Raven had already discovered the map that the coconut actually revealed, but she also knew the problem that followed it. So again, she kept quiet. She had no reason to help them, and she hoped once they realized there was nothing of use here, they’d leave and never come back.

“Uh, maybe it’s a tiny…colander.” Snow suggested.

“What’s a colander?” Raven spoke up. Snow waved it off, signalling that it wasn’t exactly important. 

“Yes, because preteen Baelfire probably made lots of pasta.” Regina noted sarcastically, ignoring her question and rolling her eyes at Snow. While Snow glared at Regina, Raven noticed Emma figuring out the hidden map.

“Hold on…” She started, “Hook, snuff out that torch.” Hook followed her direction quickly, and plunged the cave into darkness. Emma connected the two coconuts, and looked up at the roof. 

“What, am I supposed to be impressed that he made a night-light?” Regina made yet another sarcastic comment.

Raven, having enough of their slow place, decided to jump in. “It’s a map.” Unlike the rest of the group, who were looking at the ceiling, Raven’s eyes were fixed at the ground. She’d stared at that map hundreds of times, but could never decode it. 

“To home?” Emma questioned, a slight attitude in her voice, “I thought you said there wasn’t anything useful here?”

“I didn’t lie. It’s unreadable.”

“Aye, She’s right.” Hook said. Raven looked up, shocked that Hook would even be willing to admit she was right about anything. “There was a short time in Neverland when Baelfire was aboard my ship. I taught him to navigate using the stars. What you’re looking at is the fruit of my labors.”

“Then you can read it.” Regina noted, as she glanced away from the map and towards Hook. For the first time Raven had heard, there was no animosity in her voice. Raven scoffed at her remark, causing Regina’s glare to return and land on Raven. “What?”

Raven looked at Hook as she quoted the words they’d both heard as children, “The best captains conceal their maps in a code.” Hook held the stare for a moment before he spoke again.

“Aye. He was an apt pupil.”

“So you’re saying the only person who can read this map is Neal.” Snow said. Even her hope appeared to be draining. Raven’s eyebrows furrowed at the name Neal, but she figured Bae must’ve done the same thing she had when he left Neverland; New life, new name. 

“Which means the only person who can read it is dead. I told you, there’s nothing useful here.” Raven said. Emma took the lid off of the candle, before setting it back on the table and walking out of the cave, followed by Snow and David.

Regina continued to look annoyed, but shuffled through the last of Baelfire’s items. Raven decided to take this moment to confront Hook.

“Why’d you come back?”

Hook looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Why aren’t you working with Pan anymore?” Raven rolled her eyes at his question. Pan was the last person she wanted to be thinking about.

“We had a disagreement. Answer my question.”

“Pan found the heart of the truest believer.”

Raven drew a deep breath at this. Sure, she’d heard the rumors, but it’s different to have it confirmed. She’s really running out of time now. “I heard. What does that have to do with you?”

“It’s Emma’s son. Emma and…” Hook paused. “Emma and Baelfire’s boy.” Raven’s eyebrows shot up now. This was not what she’d expected at all. To learn that Baelfire made it off the island, died, and had a son who was now being held captive by Pan all at once is a lot for anyone to handle. Especially someone who has so much history with Bae.

“Pan took Bae’s son?” Raven could barely believe it.

“Aye.”

At this point, Emma came marching back in, followed by Snow and David. David took this time to relight the torch. The group began looking around again, she assumed they were trying to come up with some kind of plan, but Raven was hardly paying attention. She owed Baelfire so much, and even though every logical bone in her body said that she should just get these people out of her life, her heart knew she had to at least attempt to help. After all, she’d spent so many years working with Pan, her help had set Pan in the right direction to find Bae’s son. When Emma, Snow, and Regina made their exit Raven followed them, while Hook and David stayed behind a moment. 

“I want to help you guys.”

“No.”

“Really?”

Regina and Snow spoke at the same time, glaring at the other’s response.

“Look, I know you guys have no reason to trust me, but I owe Baelfire my life.” Behind you, David and Hook exited the cave. She had the whole group’s attention now. “If I can’t pay back Bae, the least I can do is help his son. Plus, I really hate Pan.” Raven could practically feel Hook rolling his eyes behind her, but she kept talking. “And I spent more years than I could count working with him. I know him better than anyone. All I ask in exchange is passage off the island after we find the boy.”

“Henry.” Emma said, as she took a step towards Raven, “His name is Henry. How do we know this isn’t a trick? Can you prove to us that you don’t work with Pan anymore?”

“Yes.”

“How?” Hook spoke up this time, coming into her line of sight.

“Easy. I’ll take you to my grave.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the past, Raven and Pan run into two people Raven never thought she’d see again. In the present, Raven convinces the Heroes to allow her to help save Henry with a plan of her own.

“So you weren’t speaking metaphorically about the grave then?” Emma said. The six of them had made their way to a cliff high above the mermaid lagoon. At the very edge was a large rock, with the name “RAVEN” carved in messily. Just beneath her name were multiple rows of tally marks.

“Nope. After…everything with Pan, I ran away. Pan and the lost boys wouldn’t stop looking for me, so I needed to do something to get them off my back.”

“So you faked your own death?” Snow said, shock evident in your voice.

“I did what I had to do to survive. Pan thinks I’m dead, lost boys stop looking for me, I can hide until I figure out a way off the island.” Raven explained. 

“And Pan bought it? It was that simple?” Hook questioned. Unlike the others, he knew part of Raven’s history with Pan, so it was understandable why he was so hesitant to believe Pan would back down so easily.

“Well, I used a little magic, made it more believable. Besides, the point isn’t how I pulled it off. The point is I must’ve fucked up pretty bad in order to resort to faking my own death. And, I’ve been able to avoid getting caught in my lie for,” Raven looked back at the grave, pointing at the tally marks, “That many years.”

“Isn’t marking the years on your own gravestone a bit of a giveaway?” Regina walked towards the stone, tracing her fingers over the carvings. Raven assumed she was using magic to make sure the grave wasn’t a fake, and that it had indeed been sitting there for years.

“It would be. If I was the one who added the marks.” Raven paused before giving an explanation, “Some of the lost boys, the ones who still care about me, they come around every year or so and add a tally. It’s hard to keep track of the years in Neverland, so it’s probably off by a few years.”

“How long have you been here?” Emma asked. From the look on her face, Raven could tell how worried she was. If Raven had been stuck for so long, how long would it take for them to get Henry back?

“I have absolutely no idea. You don’t age on Neverland, plus time works so differently here. Two weeks here could be just a night back in the Enchanted Forest. That’s why it’s so hard to keep track.”

“Aye, the lass is right. I couldn’t tell you how many years my crew and I were stuck on the Roger here in Neverland.” Hook confirmed. This was now the second time in one day Hook had agreed with her on anything - An event that probably hadn’t been achieved since they were children. 

“Anyways. Clearly I’m not lying, so will you let me help you save the bo-” Emma’s glare cut Raven off, so she quickly corrected herself, “Henry. Let me pay back my debt to Bae?” The team of so-called-heroes all glanced at each other, no one wanting to be the first to admit that they needed Raven’s help. Unsurprisingly, Snow was the one to take the leap of faith.

“Of course. Help us find Henry, and we’ll take you back to Storybrooke with us.” Snow had a large smile on her face as she said the words, but only received a hint of a smile in return from Raven.

“Do you have any plans then? Or are you as useless as Hook?” Regina snapped, annoyed as always at any pleasantness from Snow.

“You guys got any rope?”

##### ~~~ A Very Long Time Ago ~~~

“What the hell are you doing?” Raven yelled across the beach. Pan was at the shoreline, staring out at the ocean. When he heard Raven’s voice, he turned and smiled, waving her over. Raven prepared to run across the hot sand, but paused, remembering the tricks Pan had begun to teach her. With only a moment’s hesitation, she reached for the magic within her. Not a second later, she landed with a slight stumble next to Pan.

“Not terrible. For a girl, anyways.” Pan joked, not even flinching at her sudden appearance next to him.

“Shut up. What are we staring at the ocean for?” Raven asked, only seeing the calm sea ahead of them.

“Look up.” At Pan’s direction, she looked to the sky and, to her surprise, saw a ship flying down from the stars. It clearly belonged to some kind of Navy back in the Enchanted Forest, save for the large, feathery sail. 

“Interesting.” Raven said, taking a step closer to the ocean as the boat landed safely in the waters.

“Very.” Pan’s arm landed on her shoulder, causing Raven to look up at the boy. He was already looking down at her with a smirk ghosting his face. “Let’s see what kind of trouble we’ll be getting into today.”

##### ~~~ Present Day ~~~

“A trap? That’s your plan?” Regina said, judgment evident in her voice. 

“The lost boys want to come after us, we need to go after them. It’s a good plan.” Snow replied as she diligently worked to make the net. 

“Glad to see someone appreciates it.” Raven mumbled, as she tied together her own piece of the net.

“Why not simply use magic to trap a lost boy? Or use magic to make the net, at least?” Regina said, glaring at Raven as she did so. 

“Well, _Your Majesty_ , in case you haven’t noticed, Pan is extremely powerful. If we used magic to even make the net, let alone to actually trap a boy, he’d be able to detect it. And correct me if I’m wrong, but we’re actually trying to avoid that, right?” Raven said, meeting Regina’s glare with just as much ferocity.

“You really think a lost boy is gonna betray Pan?” Hook asked, taking another sip from his flask.

“I did.” Raven answered, looking back to her rope and away from Regina.

“David?” Snow ignored the bickering between everyone, addressing her husband with a softness not normally found in Neverland, “We need more vine.”

“On it.” He answered calmly, before addressing Hook with more anger than Raven thought he was actually capable of, “You’re coming with me pirate.”

Raven smirked as Hook sulked off after him, and continued to diligently work on tying the rope they had left.

##### ~~~ A Very Long Time Ago ~~~

“Are you two lost?” Pan asked, causing the two men who had landed on their shore to turn towards him, drawing their weapons. 

_“Men.”_ Raven thought, rolling her eyes as she appeared behind them, without their knowledge of her presence.

“You look lost to me.” Pan said, smirking at both the men’s weapons and Raven’s appearance behind them. She could tell he was proud that she’d landed without a stumble this time, even if he’d never admit it. 

“Identify yourself, boy.” One of them asked, not taking his eyes off Pan. Raven felt a sense of familiarity at his voice, but she couldn’t place it. 

“I’m Peter Pan. I live here…Who are you?” Pan asked, without an ounce of respect that Raven was sure the soldiers would’ve been accustomed to. 

After deciding that Pan wasn’t a threat (A rather stupid decision, that Raven was sure the man would regret), He put his sword away, causing the other man to follow. “Captain Jones. And my Lieutenant. We’re here by order of the King.”

This caused Pan to raise his brows, and glance at Raven as subtly as he could. Even though she couldn’t read his mind, he knew his thoughts were somewhere between disbelief and making fun of the soldiers. 

“The King huh?” Pan chuckled a little, before answering seriously, “We don’t have any kings in Neverland. Just me.”

“You mean I’m not the Queen of Neverland?” Raven took this moment as her chance to join the fun, causing the two men to once again draw their swords. They both had a look of shock on their faces, and neither seemed like they would actually harm her. Raven disappeared once more, and landed herself at Pan’s side this time before speaking again. “How disappointing.”

The men turned once more, but their swords were at their sides instead of in position to fight. “Impossible…” The Captain mumbled, staring at Raven with a look she wasn’t fond of. Now that she was looking at their faces, the pair did seem somewhat familiar. But it wasn’t until the Lieutenant spoke that she placed them. 

“Talia?” He asked, putting his sword away completely this time. He took a step forward, but both Raven and Pan took one back, with Pan’s arm now protectively pushing her behind him. Raven couldn’t address them, she couldn’t even look at them anymore. Has she really been on Neverland for so long? Long enough for her friends to grow up and become the leaders of their own ship?

“Get rid of them.” She said, looking only at Peter. He turned to look towards her, silently asking if she was alright. “Your Queen is bored.” She attempted to joke, but knew Pan would see right through it. So she simply used her magic to transport herself back to camp, where she would hopefully never have to look at her old friends again.

~~~

When Pan arrived back at the small camp, Raven immediately began questioning him about the encounter with Killian and Liam.

“What happened? Why are they here? Did they ask about me? Do they-” 

“Slow down, love, I only just got back.” Pan joked, chuckling a bit before he noticed the serious look on Raven’s face. He cleared his throat before speaking again. “They did ask about you, but I didn’t answer any of their questions. Figured that you could answer them yourself if you wanted to see them. As for why they’re here, well, turns out they work for a pretty ruthless King.”

“What do you mean?” Raven asked, stepping closer to Pan as a few lost boys walked past the two of them, not wanting them to overhear or interrupt the conversation. 

“Well, their king sent them after the dreamshade. Only he told them it was a medicine, not poison. So either this king is a complete idiot, or he’s merciless.” Pan said, before Felix came up to them to report to Pan about something. Most likely the damned heart he’d been searching for.

Raven’s thoughts were moving faster than the best ship in the realms, but she knew that she’d have to confront Liam and Killian about dreamshade. She hadn’t seen them in at least a decade, sure, but she knew Liam and Killian like the back of her hand. They’d never willingly bring a weapon so dangerous back to the Enchanted Forest, which meant they must be in the dark. They hadn’t believed Pan’s warning, but maybe they’d believe a childhood friend.

##### ~~~ Present Day ~~~

“A sextant? And you’re telling us about this now?” Emma asked, shocked that Hook would keep something so important from them.

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Regina asked. Back when they were kids, Hook could barely tell a lie, but years of being a pirate had made him annoyingly hard to read.

“Oh, you don’t. But I’m not.” Raven scoffed at his answer, but no one took notice. Or, they simply all chose to ignore it. “This is the best hope yet we’ve had of an exit plan, and don’t forget we’re gonna need one.” He said, looking at the three women as David stood behind him, gathering supplies. Raven’s attention wasn’t on Hook, but instead David. 

He looked…off. Sure, she’d noticed that he didn’t seem entirely right the second she’d laid eyes on him, but it had only gotten worse. If Raven didn’t know any better, she’d say that he was suffering from a low dosage of dreamshade poison. The slight limp he had with every step, his heavier breathing, the ever-present sweat on his forehead…it all added up. But surely he’d have told his family, right? Said his goodbyes? Why was he trying so hard to act like everything was fine?

Raven didn’t pay attention to anything else Hook said, until David spoke up. “Hook’s right.”

“You wanna split up?” Snow asked, clearly shocked that David was willing to go along with any plan that involved him and Hook together. 

“It’s the last thing I wanna do, but if there’s a chance it can get us home….”

“I’ll come with you two.” Raven announced standing up from her seat on a tree stump and gathering her own supplies. Hook and David glanced at each other briefly, confirming Raven’s guess that there was something more to this trip. “Trust me, if you’re going to be capturing a lost boy, you don’t want me anywhere near. You want him focused on Henry, not his old friend that’s suddenly no-so-dead anymore.” Raven reasoned. The rest of the team seemed to accept the answer, although Hook still looked unconvinced. “Unless there’s some reason I should stay. Hook?” Raven asked, with a smirk on her face. She wanted him to know she was onto him.

“Course not. More the merrier.” Hook said, with a sarcastic smile. He turned and began walking away, and Raven followed, leaving David behind to say goodbyes to his family. Once they were a good distance away, Raven spoke.

“It’s dreamshade, isn’t it?” 

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.” Hook said, looking away from her.

“Please. You and I both know the effects of dreamshade far too well. So what are we gonna do about it?” Hook looked at Raven this time, with an unreadable look on his face. 

“What?”

“I’m surprised you want to do anything to help him.”

She scoffed, “Says the pirate.” Hook gave her a soft chuckle in return, before turning fully to face her.

“I told him the sextant is atop dead man’s peak.” He explained, allowing her to connect the dots.

“Oh. Oh. There’s not actually a-” 

“You two done gossiping, or can we get a move on?” David’s voice interrupted your hushed conversation, but the message Hook was trying to make had gotten across. This was a rescue mission for David, whether he knew it or not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the past, Raven confronts Killian and Liam for the first time in years. In the present, Raven and Hook begin working together to save David from the dreamshade poison.

**_~~~ A Very Long Time Ago ~~~_ **

Raven really didn’t want to do this. She was hiding behind some bushes, watching Liam and Killian make the journey up to dead man’s peak, searching for the deadly dreamshade. She knew she had to convince them not to take the plant back to the Enchanted Forest, but confronting the two of them would mean admitting some of her deepest secrets. Killian, assuming he hasn’t grown out of his inquisitive nature, would have hundreds of questions. But Liam...she knew for a fact what he’d ask. _“Why did you leave me Talia? Did I mean nothing to you?”_ She could practically hear him say it, with his ocean blue eyes filled with pain. Liam had meant so much to her, and she to him...Raven would never admit it to anyone, but in a better world, she would’ve happily married him. 

Raven watched as they got closer and closer to the dreamshade, the brothers talking about their encounter with Pan. She took a deep breath, then appeared in front of Liam, blocking the path. Liam had his sword in front of him, using it to clear away any plants in their way. When he spotted her, he didn’t lower it.

“What do you want?” He asked, his voice laced in anger. _Ouch._ Killian took a much kinder approach.

“Is it really you, Talia? How can this be?” Raven had to resist letting a smile overcome her face. He was still so kind, after all this time.

“It’s Raven now. I, uh, I took a new name. When I left the ship.” She took a deep breath, gathering more courage before continuing, “It really is me, though. No one ages on Neverland...I had no idea it had been so long until I recognized you.” Liam finally yielded, putting his sword away, but his hardened face showed no emotion at Raven’s explanation.

“Tal -” Killian stopped himself, before continuing without the use of her name, “We thought you were dead...we thought you’d - How did you even get here? Why did you never come back? Why'd you leave?” There it was, all the questions that Raven did not want to answer. Instead, she changed the topic to what she had really come for.

“It doesn’t matter. I came to tell you that you can’t take the dreamshade back to the Enchanted Forest. It’s too dangerous.” Her comment only made Liam scoff.

“Nice try _Raven_ ,” He said, mocking the name, “But your suitor already tried. And I don’t mean to offend, but I’d rather believe my king than a traitor like yourself.”

Raven tried not to let his comment affect her, instead trying again to persuade him. “Look, you don’t need to forgive me. After today, you never need to see me again. Just trust me one last time-”

“Trust you? You abandoned us! How can I trust you? You know-” He paused for a moment, taking a menacing step towards Raven, “I wish you had walked off the plank like we thought for all those years. At least then I could remember you as a friend, instead of knowing the truth of your bad form.”

Killian’s eyes widened at his comment, and at the fury that was appearing in Raven’s eyes. He took a step back from the pair, sensing the argument would only get more heated.

Raven began yelling this time. “Bad form? The only _bad form_ here is trying to win a war for a ruthless, idiotic king by cheating! You have absolutely no idea what I was going through on that ship-” 

Liam cut her off once more, yelling even louder than she, “Yes I do! I know exactly what you were going through because you were my best friend! I told you everything and you did the same! I thought we had a future, but you - _Did you even care for me at all?_ Did you not think for one moment how you leaving would affect me?

“You know what,” Raven began walking away from the brothers as she spoke, “Go ahead! Kill everyone with the dreamshade. Kill the other army, kill your own army, kill yourselves with it! May the last thing you think of when the poison takes over your heart be regret. You can die thinking about how _the traitor Talia was right!_ ” With her final words, she disappeared from their sight, heading back to camp.

**_~~~ Present Day ~~~_ **

“How are you holding up, mate?” Hook asked David, who was very obviously struggling as they walked.

“Just fine. Perfect. Why would anything be wrong.” David replied, glancing back at Raven as he tried to appear in perfect health.

“Yeah, you don’t need to fake it. I know you’ve been poisoned by dreamshade.” Raven said, making David stop walking and look at Hook with anger.

“You told her?!” 

“He didn’t have to, mate. It’s obvious to anyone familiar with the side effects.” Despite Raven’s assurance that Hook hadn’t broken what little trust David had put in him, the prince felt no need to apologize, instead answering Hook’s original question.

 **“** Don't worry about me. Just worry about getting us to the sextant.”

“As entertaining as that was, I wasn’t talking about the poison. I meant the good-byes. Looked a bit stormy back there.” David began walking again, letting the other two follow behind him.

“I did what had to be done, and I did it out of love. Emma and Mary Margaret will understand that.” He explained, before stopping once more at a nearby tree. 

“I hate to break it to you, but-” Raven started, before Hook cut her off.

“You’re gonna tell them that from beyond the grave.” He said, earning a glare from the girl.

David looked at the two of them once more before correcting, “No. You are. You two are gonna tell them that I died a hero, fighting for their way home. What you're not gonna tell them is that I left already a dead man.”

“You don’t think your family deserves the truth?” Raven asked.

“What do you know of family?” Hook muttered, although he made no effort to hide the comment from Raven. In return, Raven hit his arm as hard as she could.

David, ignoring the childish exchange, answered Raven’s question. “Their last memories of me won't be of a liar.” 

**“** Why should I help you?” Hook asked. Raven was surprised at his question, considering the whole point of this journey was to save David’s life.

David chuckled at the question before answering, “Well, if you didn't steal that bean, they wouldn't have had a chance to take Henry, we wouldn't be on this island, and I wouldn't be dying of dreamshade.”

“Nice going, Hook.” Raven muttered. This time, Hook hit her arm.

 **“** Fair point.” He replied to David, “At least you got to say good-bye. Most people don't get that much.” David paused for a moment, before looking back at Hook. Hook kept walking, taking the lead before David spoke again.

 **“** You lost someone, didn't you?” Hook glanced at Raven for just a single moment before ignoring David’s question. If David noticed the exchange, he didn’t say anything.

 **“** This is where we ascend. I'll climb ahead and throw down the rope.” Raven looked up at the peak, remembering the horrible day she had been there with Hook and Liam. David and Hook kept arguing as Hook began to climb up, but she didn’t pay much attention. She wished more than anything she could go back, make her last words to Liam anything other than what she had said.

**_~~~ A Very Long Time Ago ~~~_ **

When Raven returned to the Lost Boy’s Camp, she was fuming. Their numbers were few, as Pan had only recently begun recruiting people to permanently stay on the island, so there was plenty of room for the Lost Boys to stay the hell away from Raven as she stormed about. She was muttering to herself, complaining about how _“Liam think’s he’s all that,”_ and _“Of course he became a fucking Captain,”_ and how, _“He’s just some king’s little bitch.”_

When Pan noticed his Raven’s mood, he turned to Felix for answers.

“I think she talked to the adults that showed up earlier.” Was the only answer Felix had for him.

“Well I knew that much, you idiot-”

“I can hear you two!” Raven snapped, cutting off Pan. Pan winced, turning around to see Raven staring right at them. He sent Felix off with a look, before walking over towards the girl.

“So..care to explain?” He asked, sitting next to Raven on a log.

“They’re idiotic adults who are going to end up killing their entire country-”

“Not that, Raven. Clearly you know them.”

Raven sighed, looking down at her hands before telling the truth. “We lived on that ship together. They _were_ my friends. Now they’re idiotic adults who would rather trust some dumb king than their oldest friend.” 

“You lived on the- you said there weren’t any boys on the ship!” Pan exclaimed, remembering the first night he met Raven. When she glared at him, he conceded. “But that’s not important now….you tried your best to tell them the truth. It’s up to them now.”

“I just want them off the island. As soon as possible.” This made Pan grin. Sounds like a good game, and Pan loves a game.

“Now that, I can do for you.”

**_~~~ Present Day ~~~_ **

Raven and David watched as Hook climbed up the mountain. The plan was for Hook to climb up and throw a rope down so David could make it up the mountain. Raven’s job was just to make sure he stays alive until then. Hook had wanted Raven to just _“poof”_ them up to the top, as he put it, but Raven insisted that it would be better to avoid any magic, as Pan can trace it easily. 

Hook was nearly all the way up the mountain before David made any attempt at conversation.

“So...how long have you known Hook?” He asked, making Raven look away from the climbing pirate. 

“Uhhh.. I’m not sure.” Raven answered honestly, “I’ve probably been on this island for hundreds of years.”

“Well sure..it’s just that you two seem close.”

“Close?!” Raven repeated, unsure if she’d heard David right. “Hook and I are nowhere near friends, I’m not sure where you got that idea, mate.”

“I don’t mean that you’re friends, I just mean that you argue more like you’re siblings than enemies.” David’s observation made Raven go quiet. “C’mon, I’m a dying man. And I’m curious.”

Raven scoffed at David’s attempt to get her to tell the truth, but decided to tell him anyway. “Hook and I knew each other before either of us came to Neverland.”

“What, like, when you were kids?” 

“I’m still a kid, thank you very-” Raven suddenly sensed the presence of Pan, making her stop talking. She looked around the forest, before realizing that Pan was at the top of the mountain with Hook.

“What is it?” David asked, sensing her concern.

“Pan’s up there.”

“How do you know? Is Hook ok?” David asked.

“I just know, ok. And I’m not sure about Hook...but he hasn’t thrown the rope down. Think you can climb without it?” Raven asked, but before she even finished the question, David was slowly beginning to climb. “Guess that’s a yes…” She mumbled, before pulling her hands on the rocks and pulling herself up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait!! i really love writing this story, i've just been hella busy. so i'm slowly updating all my fics now that I have time! expect the next chapter much sooner!


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